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☆ The Orient Express is plotting a comeback as the ultra-rich ditch luxury brands for travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Maria Noyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dubbed La Dolce Vita, the new Orient Express trains will start operating in Spring 2025. Travel agent Julia Carter, founder of the luxury travel agency Craft Travel, said unique experiences are higher on the priority list of wealthy vacationers than ever. Itineraries on La Dolce Vita Orient Express start at $3,800 for a one-night stay. Courtesy of Orient Express ItalyUnlike cruise travel, luxury train travel is also more exclusive, another top priority among wealthy travelers. "People want the luxury of space and privacy," Craft, the luxury travel agent, said.

Persons: Vita, —, Amrita Banta, Julia Carter, Carter, Georges Nagelmackers, Agatha Christie, Dame Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Buyenlarge, Samy Ghachem, La Dolce, COVID, let's, Ghachem, it's Organizations: Orient Express, Service, Research, Strategy, McKinsey & Company, Craft Travel, Orient, The Orient Express, Dolce Vita, Dolce Vita Orient Locations: Italy, China, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Belgian, Paris, Istanbul, Sicily, Asia, Africa, Orient Express Italy

☆ La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Eat your way around Italy in style
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. La Dolce Vita Orient ExpressNew details have been teased about the hotly anticipated La Dolce Vita Orient Express train and the upcoming Orient Express hotels in Rome and Venice, the first for the relaunched brand. The brand’s first Orient Express hotel will be the Orient Express La Minerva in Rome, followed by Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice. That follows the international gang-bust in France and Italy last month over counterfeit French wine being sold for $16,000 per bottle. In Japan, the alcoholic drink doburoku was once illegal “moonshine,” but this once controversial drink is now making a comeback.

Persons: Heinz Beck, Nizza, Giovannelli, Fraudsters, doburoku, poitín, There’s Organizations: CNN, Vita Orient, Vita Orient Express, Orient Express, Montalcino, Orient, Carolina, Fuji, Delta Air Lines Locations: Antarctica, Rome, Venice, Italy, Da Nang, Hue, France, Japan, Ireland, Germany, Turkey, Antalya, Western, North Carolina, Hurricane, French

☆ When Europe’s railroad dining cars were the height of luxury
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The most luxurious experience of them all, however, could be found in the dining car. The latter was the first train car to offer on-board meals, including regional specialties like gumbo, which were prepared in a 3-foot-by-6 foot kitchen. By the 1870s, dining cars could be found on sleeper trains across North America. But this decentralized production model also contained the seed of dining car’s ultimate demise. And despite a revival of interest in train travel on the continent, dining cars (or certainly those equipped with kitchens) are now largely the preserve of tourist services.

Persons: —, impeccably, Henri Opper de Blowitz, Francois Guillot, Graham Greene, Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, George Pullman, ”, Pullman, Georges Nagelmackers, Arthur Mettetal, “, René Prou, glassmaker, ” —, Mettetal, ” Mettetal Organizations: CNN, Orient Express, Gare de, Getty, New, Compagnie Internationale des, Orient, Nord, Express, “, Pullman, Deco, Italy —, Bettmann, SNCF, Documentation Department Locations: Gare, Gare de l’Est, Paris, Europe, Constantinople, Istanbul, AFP, Britain, America, New York, North America, Belgian, Saint Petersburg, Lisbon, France, North Africa, East, London, Vichy, Switzerland, Italy, Toulouse

☆ LVMH owner Bernard Arnault liked this Paris bistro so much his company bought it
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —French luxury conglomerate LVMH has added a tiny Parisian bistro to its sprawling empire of designer fashion brands, jewelry makers and hotels. A dish served at Chez l'Ami Louis restaurant in Paris. Her lifestyle company Goop describes Chez L’ami Louis on its website as “one of the best, most venerable bistros in Paris.”“It is small and wood-paneled, with an ancient oven and a sick wine list,” Goop gushed. In 2019, the company acquired Belmond, which owns hotels and organizes luxury rail and river cruises, in a $3.2 billion deal. Earlier this month, LVMH announced “a strategic investment” in the Orient Express, a brand offering luxury train travel owned by French hospitality firm Accor.

Persons: Bernard Arnault, Chez L’ami Louis, LVMH, “, Bill Clinton, Martin Scorsese, Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow’s, Paris Arnault, Arnault, Kering, ” Arnault, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Louis Vuitton Organizations: London CNN, Chez, Louis, CNN, Notre Dame, Bloomberg, Dior, Orient Express Locations: Paris

☆ Then and now: Inside the legendary Orient Express train
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Orient Express, a famed historic train, is being revived by the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. AdvertisementThe Orient Express is perhaps the most well-known train in history. As the first transcontinental express train in Europe, the Orient Express served the rich and royal on overnight journeys from 1883 to 1977, according to Britannica. According to the company's website, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express operates 60 routes in 17 cities. So, I compared photos from my trip to historical images of the Orient Express.

Persons: — Organizations: Orient Express, Orient, Express, Service Locations: Venice, Europe, Britannica

☆ China is trying to connect Southeast Asia by high-speed rail. Here’s how that’s going
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Imagine jumping on a train in southwestern China, traveling some 2,000 miles and arriving in Singapore – less than 30 hours later. Southeast Asia is the “obvious” choice because of its “proximity to China,” Bowerman adds. “Beijing, I think, ultimately wants to see Southeast Asian countries within its sphere of geopolitical influence. A staff member waits for passengers to board the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train during a week-long public trial phase at the Halim station in Jakarta on September 17, 2023. “In the example of a high-speed railway line between Malaysia and Singapore, Singapore would likely have just one stop – Malaysia would have more,” Wong told CNN.

Persons: China’s, Gary Bowerman, ” Bowerman, ”, Pon Souvannaseng, Peerapon Boonyakiat, Bowerman, Pan Wenbo, Pan, Mei Wei, Wei, “ I’m, Xi Jinping’s, Souvannaseng, Hong Kong –, Hong Kong’s, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Wong Muh Rong, ” Wong Organizations: CNN, Initiative, China Railway, Reuters, East Japan Railway Co, Malaysian, Bentley University, of, Communist Party, Laos Railway, Laos Railway cumulatively, Orient Express, Getty Locations: China, Singapore, Asia, Laos, Kunming, Vientiane –, Indonesia, Jakarta, Bandung, West Java, Thailand, Bangkok, Thai, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Southeast Asia, “ China, Peerapon, Cities, Penang, Malacca, Phuket Old Town, Beijing, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Wat, Siem Reap, ”, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Halim, AFP, “

☆ I went on a luxury cruise for the first time. It was worth the $6,000 price tag for 5 reasons.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Last summer, I embarked on my first luxury cruise with the adults-only cruise line Virgin Voyages. I booked a seven-day Mediterranean sailing in a cabin with a balcony for $5,900. The ship's unique design, VIP-worthy cabins, and surprising activities made it worth the price. I took the seven-day cruise from Barcelona on the Valiant Lady ship , which has a maximum of 2,700 guests. AdvertisementSix months after my cruise, I'm still thinking about the luxury details that made it worth the price.

Persons: —, I've, Valiant Organizations: Service, Orient Express, Virgin Voyages Locations: it's, Barcelona, Italy, France, Spain

☆ Will My Next Trip Be by Train Instead of Plane?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Paige Mcclanahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Train lovers and travelers concerned about their carbon footprint have a lot to choose from this year — especially in Europe. While some European governments are mulling short-haul flight bans, many passengers are already opting for rail, where new connections are numerous. Nightjet, part of the Austrian federal railway, ÖBB, started running a sleeper train between Berlin and Paris in December, while the French rail operator, S.N.C.F., started overnight service between Paris and Aurillac, in south-central France, the same month. And the Italian rail operator Trenitalia has recently started running a weekly high-speed connection between Rome and the station serving the Pompeii archaeological park. Other new European connections include a sleeper service between Brussels and Prague, coming in late March, and an overnight train between Brussels and Bratislava, Slovakia, expected late this year or early next.

Persons: Trenitalia Organizations: Orient, Accor Locations: Europe, Austrian, ÖBB, Berlin, Paris, Aurillac, France, Vienna, Nice, Rome, Brussels, Prague, Bratislava, Slovakia, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Italy, Palermo, Portofino, Siena

☆ The most exciting new trains coming in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —Around the world, travelers are flocking back to trains, and demand is increasing across the board for high-speed trains, luxury “land cruises” and long-distance day and night trains. Here are some of the best new trains you’ll be able to take in 2024. Laurie Dieffembacq/Belga/AFP/Getty ImagesLinks between two of Europe’s most visited capitals have traditionally been pretty poor, with no direct trains since the 1990s. Ian Clarke/Alamy Stock PhotoFour continents, 13 countries, and seven luxury trains across 80 days – the ultimate experience for rail travel connoisseurs is due to depart in late 2024. BelmondOne of the world’s greatest luxury train journeys is returning to the rails in 2024 after a four-year gap.

Persons: Laurie Dieffembacq, Dimorestudio, Vita ”, Riva Aquarama, itineraries, Jeroen Berends, Gabriel Bouys, it’s, Jesus Hellin, That’s, Trenitalia, Luigi Ferraris, France –, Railbookers, Ian Clarke, we’ve, ”, Frank Marini, Alex Halada, There’s Organizations: CNN, Orient, Getty, ÖBB, Austrian Federal Railways, SNCF, Eurostar, National, Europa Press, French, Renfe, FS, Rocky Mountaineer, Royal, Orient Express, Oriental, ”, Oriental Express, Austrian Railways, Swiss Locations: Swiss, Venice, Paris, Berlin, AFP, Strasbourg, Frankfurt, Italy, Rome, Matera, Palermo, Sicily, Messina, Europe’s, Istanbul, Split, Brussels, Prague, Europe, Dutch, Dresden, Belgian, Roman, Naples, Madrid, Spain, France, Spanish, Barcelona, Lyon, Marseille, Canada, Central Europe, India, South Africa, Eastern, Vancouver, Malaysia, Singapore, Malaysia’s, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Bangkok, Vienna, Innsbruck, Hamburg, Switzerland, Germany, Zürich, Gornergrat Bahn, Zermatt, Gornergrat, Riffelalp

☆ The night train revolution has been hailed as an alternative to airplanes. Here’s how that’s going
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Wherever they run, night trains are complicated, labor intensive and expensive to operate – one of the major reasons they went into decline in the first place. The $770 million contract could eventually see up to 370 new overnight carriages introduced to update Italy’s entire overnight train fleet. “Politicians must be clear: the night train market will be effectively closed for a very long time,” he says. So, what does all this mean for the much-vaunted night train revolution? With the honorable exception of government-subsidized Nightjet, which plans to expand rapidly over the next five years, European night train services have yet to match the hype.

Persons: Love, James Brown, David Bowie, Ray Charles, –, they’ve, Charisius, Agatha Christie, James Bond, Mark Smith, ”, “, ÖBB, “ Superliner, Kuleshova, Smith, it’s, Alex Halada, Nick Brooks Organizations: CNN, Orient Express, Austrian Federal Railways, Swiss Federal Railways, Deutsche Bahn, Italian State Railways, Amtrak, California Zephyr, European, Bloomberg, Getty, Regiojet, Compagnie Internationale des, VIA Rail, European Union, Frankfurt, Eurostar, EU Rail, EU Locations: Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, Vienna, Hamburg, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, France, Sweden, Milan, Sicily, Messina, Europe’s, United States, Berlin, Stockholm, Denmark, Czech, Prague, Croatia’s, London, Dresden, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Spain, Venice, Florence, Rome, Madrid, Porto, Portugal, Edinburgh, Zurich, AFP, EU

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham weren't enough to save “ Expend4bles ” from a debut box office flop. The Lionsgate and Millennium's film, also known as “Expendables 4,” pulled in a mediocre $8.3 million for the big-budget project. It starred several popular names, including Stallone, Statham, Curtis “50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox and Dolph Lundgren. It's been nearly a decade since the franchise released a film, which opened with $15.8 million and eventually grossed $214 million globally. But times have certainly changed, as the film barely placed second behind “The Nun 2," a horror movie that earned $8.4 million in its first week.

Persons: — Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham weren't, “, ”, Comscore, Stallone, Statham, Curtis “, Jackson, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, It's, Michael Chaves, Venice ”, Kenneth Branagh’s, Agatha Christie, Denzel Washington, “ Barbie, Greta Gerwig, “ Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan Organizations: ANGELES, Lionsgate, Warner Bros, Orient Express, Sony, GameStop, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Writers Guild of America Locations: Venice

NEW YORK (AP) — “The Nun 2” and “A Haunting in Venice” virtually tied for the No. In its second weekend of release, Warner Bros.' “The Nun 2,” a spinoff from the studio's lucrative “Conjuring” franchise, grossed $14.7 million. If numbers hold, that will give “The Nun 2” (up to $56.5 million total and $158.8 million worldwide) the top spot at the box office for the second straight week. In three weeks, its grossed $73.7 million domestically and $132.4 million worldwide. Fourth place went to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” with $4.7 million in its second weekend of release.

Persons: —, Venice ”, Hercule Poirot, ” Kenneth Branagh's, Agatha Christie, ”, Denzel Washington, “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, Barbie ”, Greta Gerwig's, Comscore, “ Barbie, “, “ Oppenheimer, Jake Coyle Organizations: Warner Bros, Orient Express, Century Studios, Walt Disney Co, It's, SAG, WGA, GameStop, Twitter Locations: Venice, ”, Telluride, Toronto

☆ The Many Mustaches of Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Calum Marsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“It was my ritual every night after the shoot,” Yoshihara said recently in a video interview. “Me and the mustache sit together. The mustache became like a friend.”Yoshihara takes facial hair very seriously. The first iteration of Branagh’s Poirot mustache was created for “Orient Express” by the designer Carol Hemming, with whom Yoshihara worked closely as the head of the hair and makeup departments. The colossal gray swath of hair was meant to pay tribute to Poirot’s military background and the vogue after World War I.

Persons: Kenneth Branagh, Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, Wakana Yoshihara, ” Yoshihara, “, ”, Branagh, Yoshihara, Carol Hemming Organizations: Orient Express, “ Orient Locations: Venice

☆ Train review: What it’s like to ride the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That's according to Matthieu Ollier, manager of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, who said the train's Grand Suites cost 24,000 euros ($25,850) for a one-night trip from Venice to London. A train steward on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The ensuite bathroom in the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express' Budapest Suite. The bar car on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Source: Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Persons: Matthieu Ollier, Willy Wonka's, Chris Dwyer, Ollier, John Travolta, Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Wes Anderson, Agatha Christie's, Christie, Champagne —, Austria's Brenner, Chef Jean Imbert, Jean Imbert, —, serenaded Organizations: Orient, Express, Orient Express, Athénée, Venice Locations: Venice, London, Belmond, United States, Paris, Bucharest, Munich, Istanbul, —, Budapest, Murano, Tsar, Austria's, Switzerland, France

☆ I asked ChatGPT to help me plan a vacation. Here’s what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

So the idea that artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Bing, can research travel destinations and create itineraries is intriguing. I went to the developer's website, clicked on the word "ChatGPT," registered for an account — and started chatting. "All of the places I recommended have great online reviews," ChatGPT replied, providing ratings from Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Google for each hotel. But ChatGPT couldn't show photographs of the hotels or help book them — although it did provide ample instructions on how to do both. Every city I asked ChatGPT about resulted in the bot praising the local food scene.

☆ An ultra-luxury Orient Express superyacht featuring a 15,000-square-foot presidential suite will set sail in 2026. Take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Orient Express brand is taking to the high seas with a 720-foot superyacht. The Orient Express Silenseas will have 54 suites as well as a huge presidential suite. The Accor Group, the hotel giant that also owns Sofitel, Mercure and Novotel, said the Orient Express Silenseas will be able to accommodate up to 120 guests. A rendering of the Orient Express Silenseas. Martin DarzacqThe superyacht, set to sail in 2026, is a partnership between Accor and Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a French shipbuilder.

☆ I make fake snow for films like 'Fantastic Beasts.' It's fun to make but painstaking to clean up — now I never look at winter movies the same.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jem Bartholomew | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Jon Llewellyn works at Snow Business International, a company that produces fake snow. I work at Snow Business International, where we make fake snow for all kinds of movie sets and more. There's a lot of secrecy around Christmas TV ads in the UKPeople talk, so we use code names to muddy the water. Jon LlewellynRecently, we cleaned up this entire area of fake snow on a shoot in Ireland. But it's funny because I thought it looked a bit unrealistic on the cars, even though it was real snow.

☆ What to Watch: The 19 Best New Movies and TV Shows From November
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Wsj Arts In Review Staff | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Here’s a roundup of the month’s most noteworthy movies and TV shows, as covered by The Wall Street Journal’s critics. After the remake of “Murder on the Orient Express” revived the murder mystery in 2017, two years later “Knives Out” revived the subgenre of the comic whodunit best exemplified by such ’70s Peter Falk movies as “The Cheap Detective” and “Murder by Death.” When it comes to comedy, Daniel Craig is no Peter Falk, and in the second “Knives Out” movie, the biggest mystery remains, “Why is Daniel Craig’s Southern accent so terrible?” I half-expected the explanation to be that Mr. Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc is actually a suave English spy in disguise. Still, the nattily attired Blanc is not only a detective dandy, he’s a dandy detective, and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is breezy holiday entertainment.

☆ ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Review: Daniel Craig Solves a Puzzle on a Greek Isle
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

Still, the nattily attired Blanc is not only a detective dandy, he’s a dandy detective, and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is breezy holiday entertainment. All of them accept the offer to be guests at the lavish Greek island property of a jovial billionaire, Miles Bron ( Edward Norton ). We learn that he used to hang out with all of them at a tavern called the Glass Onion before he launched the tech business that made his fortune. Now he’s doing well enough to have built himself an enormous mansion topped by a palatial structure shaped like a glass onion. He boasts to his old friends that, unknown to his insurers, he has installed an override button that removes the protective glass housing around the masterpiece.

☆ Two companies have luxury trains called the 'Orient Express.' Here are the differences
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The "Orient Express" has been called the "king of trains" and the "train of kings." By the 1970s, the original Orient Express trains had made their last journeys, and the carriages fell into disrepair. The Orient Express 'La Dolce Vita'Accor has more plans to use the Orient Express name. A rendering of the "Orient Express La Dolce Vita," which will connect Rome to cities like Paris, Istanbul and Split. A rendering of a bedroom suite on the "Orient Express La Dolce Vita," showing the train's 1960s-style decor.

☆ ‘See How They Run’ Review: Death on the West End
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

After “Murder on the Orient Express” raked in over $352 million at the global box office in 2017 and “Knives Out” brought in about $312 million two years later, the stuffy old parlor-murder-mystery felt like a movie genre reborn. For a moment, screenwriters put down their preferred source material (comic books) and turned their attentions to Agatha Christie novels, sales of which have spiked. Maybe everything that was once in vogue gets another chance, although you probably shouldn’t hold your breath waiting for the return of big-band music or cigarette holders.

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